Macron Blames Iran War for French Unrest, Draws Criticism

French President Emmanuel Macron has attributed some of the unrest and economic pressures fueling widespread riots and looting across France to the conflict involving Iran. Macron stated in a televised speech that while demonstrators expressed concerns about the cost of living and fuel prices, these issues are exacerbated by a conflict in the Persian Gulf, which France has not directly participated in but is nonetheless experiencing the consequences of.

Macron announced plans to travel to the Gulf on a three-nation tour to address the energy crisis, emphasizing his international initiatives to secure fuel and gas supplies and stabilize energy markets. However, his explanation for the domestic turmoil has drawn criticism.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump commented on the situation, recalling a past conversation with Macron where he advised closing France's borders to prevent the country's decline. "I said the first time I met Macron, I said, you got to close up your borders. You're going to ruin your country. And they've ruined their country. It's going to be hard to get it back. But hopefully France will come back," Trump told reporters.

Iran expert Lisa Daftari pushed back against Macron's assessment, suggesting that fuel prices are high due to Iran's actions in closing the Strait of Hormuz and holding global energy supplies hostage. Daftari questioned whether the widespread infrastructure damage, looting, and nearly 2,400 arrests in a single day were truly about diesel prices, characterizing the events as "organized lawlessness" that Macron's own government has blamed on ultra-left groups and criminals. "France has a domestic crisis, and current geopolitics are not the alibi for it," Daftari stated.

French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu had previously accused the "ultra-left movement" of orchestrating significant disorder ahead of the presidential election. Barak Seener, an associate research fellow at the Henry Jackson Society, suggested that illegal immigration from various regions has served as a destabilizing factor, with calls for "globalize the intifada" and "Free Gaza" being coded messages to undermine Western civilization. Seener criticized Macron for ignoring these dynamics and for what he termed "political correctness" and a "unilateral support of a Palestinian state."

U.S. Senator JD Vance also criticized France's immigration policies, stating on social media that "Western liberals imported the third world into France and other countries in the name of diversity and compassion," while ignoring issues of assimilation. Seener further argued that Macron's reframing of reality and focus on increased oil prices due to the U.S.-led war against Iran are distractions from a domestic crisis involving a "Red-Green alliance" of radical left and Muslim organizations, including communist youth groups and a Muslim student association.

The Elysée press office did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The French foreign ministry referred inquiries to Macron's televised address and the Elysée press office.